J.R. Squish should be required to write an essay titled "How I Spent My Summer Vacation."

Even with a few spelling and grammatical mistakes, that paper would be an interesting read.

He can tell us about:

• The excellent adventures of J.R. and Eddy, when J.R. Smith, awaiting a court date associated with the traffic accident death of his best friend, and Knicks player Eddy Curry, who were broadcasting live with a webcam on the car's dashboard when they were pulled over and questioned by a police officer at 4 a.m.

• The judge's sentencing of J.R. to 90 days in jail for reckless driving, reducing it to 30 days, with 500 hours of community service, and a suspension of his driver's license (for the sixth time in seven years) until 2012.

• His learning experience during 24 days in the joint, when his jersey number was no longer "1," but probably "17654293," and his release six days early, based on "good behavior" or the 54 points he may have scored in the inmate intrasquad game.

• Going off to contemplate the meaning of his incarceration, his maturity, his future — in Las Vegas, while developing a twist on the old saying with "What happens in Vegas is tweeted from Vegas," where we have found out in the past three days on Smith's Twitter account such things as "Man I'm tired . . . going to the airport. Vegas here I Kome!" and "thinking bout buyin a house in Vegas" and "People please watch what you say on here it gets me in a lot of trouble.

• And the obvious choice to begin his community service in a casino and at the pool in Las Vegas, with 499 hours and 57 minutes remaining.

"People are to funny," he wrote yesterday.

J.R. needs to get to serious.

After doing time, it's time for J.R., who will turn 24 next month, to put away childish things and stupid and tragic events and become an adult.

The Nuggets are depending on J.R. to become a starter and a star this season. It's up to him.

Coach George Karl always has described Smith, who will be in his fourth season with the Nuggets, as the "good J.R. and the bad J.R." On the basketball court and in life, Smith seems to have an angel on one shoulder, the devil on the other. We've seen the flashes, the flares, the frailties, the failures, the foolery.

He will play brilliantly — with 24 points and four assists — in a playoff victory over the Lakers and, afterward, hold his kid in his arms during the news conference and talk about doing the right things — playing defense, passing, getting open for a shot, stealing a pass.

In the next game, Smith will play awfully — 1-of-10 from the 3-point line and seven total points — as the Nuggets lose to the Lakers.

In the regular season he will score 32 points one game, zero the next, 40 then 14, 45 then five. Karl will play Smith a lot one game, a little the next. Smith will look like a winner one game and look lost the next.

One of the best long-range shooters in the NBA made 4-of-13 free throws in the conference finals. He was a starter briefly for the Nuggets last season, but, primarily, provided immediate offense off the bench.

Submit Your Question

At season's end, Karl said Smith would start in 2009-10, and the Nuggets did not re-sign off-guard defensive specialist Dahntay Jones.

The job is Smith's — if he can stay away from Karl's outhouse or the Big House.

Smith averaged 15.2 points in the regular season, 14.9 in the playoffs. He could be a viable backcourt mate to Chauncey Billups and average four-plus assists, and a scoring complement to Carmelo Anthony and average 20-plus points a game. He could understand double-teaming defense and average 30-plus minutes a game, and he could be the difference if the Nuggets plan to win 55 games, finish first in their division again and challenge the Lakers.

If Mr. Smith goes to Vegas, he and his Xbox have to keep out of trouble. When he is in Denver, Smith, who has developed a passion for golf, only can drive on the golf course in a cart and off the tee. When Smith is home in New Jersey, he should hang out with his parents, not his old circle of friends.

A year ago J.R. went to Vegas to participate in practices against the U.S. Olympic team, and last February he was a replacement in the slam dunk contest at the NBA All-Star Game. His goals should be: Become a member of the next U.S. Olympic team, become a player selected for the NBA All-Star game, become, in two years, a $12 million-a-year player and become a key player for the Nuggets' NBA championship team.

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.

PARIS (AP) — Bye, New York! Ciao, Milan! Bonjour, Paris! The world's largest traveling circus of fashion editors, models, buyers and journalists has descended on the French capital, clutching their metro maps and city guides, to cap the ready-to-wear fashion season. Full Story